"$900 Million Lost in a Day"... The Fate of Baidu's Chinese Vice President Who Forced Employee Sacrifices

Public Apology Made but Name Ultimately Removed

Photo by Douyin Capture

China's largest search company Baidu (百度) Vice President Qiu Jing became the center of controversy for his remarks that normalized 'long working hours' for employees, and ultimately stepped down from his position, according to a report by the US CNN on the 10th.

CNN included a screenshot of Baidu's HR system with his name removed, along with the statement "The Baidu vice president who sparked public outrage will no longer be working." Local media such as Zhongxin Jingwei also reported that Baidu insiders confirmed Qiu Jing's resignation. However, Baidu has not officially announced his departure.

Earlier, Qiu Jing posted 4 to 5 videos on his personal Douyin account, a Chinese video platform, saying things like "If you work in the promotion field, don't expect to rest on weekends," and "You must keep your phone on 24 hours and always be ready to respond." He also sparked public outrage by saying, "I am not the mother of employees, so I have no responsibility for welfare," and "Why should I consider employees' families?" He even warned employees dissatisfied with his management, "I can make it impossible for you to find a job in this industry."

As the controversy intensified, Qiu Jing posted an apology on his social media account. He said, "I sincerely apologize. My videos caused a great uproar," and "I have read many opinions and comments. I accept the criticism and am reflecting on it." He added, "I did not seek the company's opinion before releasing the videos," and "I did not follow the proper procedures and want to make it clear that I do not represent the company's stance."

He also apologized for causing inappropriate misunderstandings about the company's values and corporate culture through the videos. He said, "I posted the videos with good intentions, but it seems I was too hasty and inappropriate," and "I will improve communication and management methods."

Photo by Chinese SNS capture

However, many media outlets reported that the apology did not work. Local media stated that his resignation caused a strong backlash, including a decline in the company's image, public outrage in China, and a sharp drop in stock price. According to Chinese media, Baidu's stock price fell by about 2 percentage points amid the controversy. Local media reported, "9 billion dollars (approximately 1.2313 trillion won) disappeared in a single day."